


Three Times Ai Couldn't Respond and One Time He Spooked Them

by Argent_the_Gay



Series: Adventures of my weird Ai Mikaze AU timeline someone stop me [2]
Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: 3+1, Aine is a spoiler to anime only people whoOPS, Alcohol, Dissociation, I mean, Let Ai Laugh, a corny joke by curtesy of one of my boyfriends/qpps, i like this format for things fight me, idk but if theres some tag I missed please tell me, ill get there, im really holding back from stuffing RanAi stuff in this AU yet, its very breif, may - Freeform, more Metaphoric Death, that's basically what ai does in most of this, there may be porn in the future, uhh, uhh what else, youll know it when you see it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-18
Updated: 2018-05-18
Packaged: 2019-05-08 15:45:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14697306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Argent_the_Gay/pseuds/Argent_the_Gay
Summary: Ai is a zombie person, but he's getting better.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Guess I should have had this in the first part but
> 
> Disclaimer(TM): This is an AU where Ai Mikaze is a cyborg who was, at one point, the idol-to-be Aine Kisaragi. Aine Kisaragi is an actual character from the UtaPri otome games but anyone who has only seen the anime will not know who he is. This is an AU where I throw canon out the window though so things are a lot different in regards to Quartet Night and Ai in general. I swear I know what I'm doing please don't hurt me.

_ “Aine Kisaragi is dead.” _

Those words continuously burned through Ai’s mind. He had to face it eventually. That he was no longer  _ that _ person.

It was… difficult to say the least.

Part of his brain recognized “Ai Mikaze” as his new identity. The other part, where damage made his thoughts jumbled and his memories filled with holes, held a longing to go back. To be himself again.

But that wasn’t him anymore, was it?

A few weeks after he had returned in mostly one piece again, Ai could only remember bits and pieces of who he was. His name was lost to him in his head, but “Ai” felt familiar. Safe. It turned out that that was part of a step towards returning to the world. Finding a name.

A large man with as much graceful enthusiasm as a horse was in the room when he came to, yet his brain did not register him as being familiar. He acted like he had control of Ai, as though his fate was predestined through this one man. Ai could have believed it.

Though his mind was loud with rings and buzzes - electricity, he managed to pull from his memory - the man known as Shining Saotome was significantly louder. So much so that Ai felt pain in his head from the overexposure of noises. He didn’t flinch though, nor did he cover his ears. Instead, his body locked up and he stared in a single direction, unsure of when or where he was.

He could hear someone different this time, though the emotions they conveyed in their voice were unknown. Before Ai could catch up to his surroundings again, the world was black and had gone mute once more. A sight he knew, deep down, that would haunt him for a long time.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been a few weeks since Ai had been released. His body was having trouble adjusting to the contradicting mechanics of bone and metal, but he had managed to walk and perform simple tasks whilst appearing mostly normal, so now he was here with the man he vaguely remembered as Shining Saotome and three others.

Against the wall, stood a tall man with silver hair, his eyes closed and lips pressed into a line of annoyance. In the chair closest to Ai sat a man who didn’t quite look as though he belonged, long blond hair and sharp blue eyes that could freeze you in place (not that Ai needed any help with that). And furthest from him, in another chair, sat a man with brown hair that caused his chest the clench, but Ai didn’t know why.

Shining was saying something to them, yet Ai had lost himself to the ringing that had returned to his ear. He would have to ask the doctor about it at some point. Thankfully, Ai could faintly hear what they were being told.

“From here on out, you four will be working together more often. In less than a year’s time, Mikaze-san will debut and at the same time, Quartet Night will be officially born!” Shining exclaimed, as though it was a master plan finally coming into fruition. It was far more exaggerated than Ai was registering, but it was the most he could do to push past the relently ringing.

Various responses were given to the announcement. The silver-haired man made to leave with what Ai believed was a scoff, the foreigner stayed still and accepted (though he didn’t appear happy about it), and the brown-haired man gave a large grin and said something to the silver-haired man that Ai couldn’t hear. Whatever was said, it brought him back, but only enough to close the door and lean against the wall next to it.

Ai didn’t respond. He had no opinions on the matter. It was said, and thus it must be done, right? Until he could think completely for himself again, his life was decided by the doctor that took care of him and Shining Saotome.

More words were said, though Ai wasn’t sure what they were about at first. Apparently, these three were going to help Ai enter the idol industry through tutoring. Another addition was that they would all be living in the same place, a condo-esque suite in the Saotome Mansion.

Again, Ai did not respond.


	3. Chapter 3

Two months before the debut.

Ai had been working diligently towards becoming a good member of the group that would become Quartet Night (or at least, as much as he could with the many improvements that had to be made to his being every few days). The ringing in his ear had been mostly fixed, to the point that it never became so loud or bothersome that he couldn’t focus. His joints moved much smoother now, bringing grace to the way he danced and even walked. And his mind had begun to clear and more of his past was returning to him.

By now, he knew why he felt pain when he first met the man he came to know as Reiji Kotobuki. They were bandmates before, best friends even, but he couldn’t tell him that. Not yet anyway.

Reiji, of course, did his best to warm up to Ai. Ai vaguely understood that looking a ghost in the face was difficult, but he commended how strong Reiji seemed to be on the surface, even if he was learning better.

As for Ranmaru and Camus, he became a mediator for them often. Camus was cold and high-standing while Ranmaru was a ball of explosive personality that didn’t like staying contained, so it was natural that they would clash. Sometimes, they managed to get along. Sometimes. Though those times were few and far between.

Ai himself got along with Ranmaru and Camus well when it was just them, with Ranmaru acting more like an older brother at times or a protective boyfriend. The second thought almost made Ai laugh once, yet that was one reaction he had yet to manage even a fake one of.

This was especially evident when the four of them were lounging in the living room of their condo, resting from one of Ai’s tutor sessions or a job they had just returned from. It was an easy silence they managed to fall into, much easier than it had been months ago, with Ranmaru stretching out on the couch, Ai flipping through music sheets, Camus doing… something on his tablet and Reiji watching over his shoulder.

Without much warning, Reiji tapped Camus on his shoulder, Ai couldn’t hear what they were whispering about, but he felt vaguely apprehensive from the secrecy. Then, the two nodded and Reiji called out to Ranmaru, who grunted an acknowledgement.

“Ran-Ran, what’s the difference between deer nuts and car nuts?” Reiji asked, to which Ai tilted his head.

Ranmaru gave Reiji a look that asked “what the fuck is that supposed to mean” before Reiji gave an answer.

“Car nuts can cost $5 at the hardware store but deer nuts are under a buck!” He exclaimed, laughing at his own joke as though it was funny. Camus shook his head and Ranmaru rolled over so his back was to them. The only thing Ai could manage was a slightly forced smile, though he was laughing softly on the inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Quartet Night was real, Ai Mikaze was an official idol, and all was well. Overall, the concert was a success and Ai felt… free.

To Ai, Quartet Night was a fate he didn’t exactly choose, but he accepted and would never trade it for anything. As much as they quarreled over the littlest things, so did they come together, especially in their music.

Back at their condo once more, still running on the high of the concert as exhaustion dragged at their limbs, the four came in with bright smiles and sweat still glistening on their skin. They had been told that they had the next day to themselves to rest after such a success and they found a mutual bliss in that fact.

Reiji found his way into the kitchen, looking for something, and finally pulling out water bottles for them all (and something else though he was hiding it well). Ranmaru found his usual place on the couch and Camus found his way to a chair, finally taking a rest, though Ai found the adrenaline to be fading slower than he thought it would and he bounced on his toes almost anxiously.

“Calm down there tiger, there’ll be plenty more where that concert came from if Shining has anything to say about it.” Reiji chuckled, handing Ai one of the bottles of water, huddled carefully as though there was something in his jacket that he didn’t want to slip out. He went on to hand the other three their bottles as Ai quickly drank his, soothed by the chill as the water went down his throat and he took Reiji’s words into consideration.

More concerts… More performances as Quartet Night. As “Ai Mikaze”. More chances for him to grow…

“Are ya gonna stare off into space with that grin all night or are ya gonna join us?” Ranmaru asked, setting his bottle down as he stood, “come ‘ere!” He grabbed Ai around the shoulders and ruffled his hair until the almost perfect waves were a fuzzy mess of cyan. It drove a laugh out of him that he let out without hesitation, trying his best to get away from Ranmaru.

Everyone paused as Ai’s giggles softened out. “You finally laughed,” Reiji commented, almost jumping for joy, “Ai-Ai laughed!!”

“So I did…” Ai muttered in realization, gently touching his lips. It was nice to know that he was coming back to himself, even if it was something simple like a laugh, it left a warm feeling in his heart.

_ I can learn to be myself again _ , he thought wistfully, closing his eyes and barely registering Camus calling Reiji out for buying alcohol without their knowledge. He chuckled again when he saw the bottle, which was most likely what Reiji had been hiding.

In the end, they drank the alcohol together (with mild complaints of the unrefined taste from Camus and Reiji fighting Ai about him drinking it) and found themselves falling asleep on the couches. They would deal with their respective hangovers in the morning.


End file.
